Dispenser and method

ABSTRACT

A material is added to a container of liquid from a dispenser that fits onto an open mouth of the container. The dispenser has an open position and a closed position, and includes an outer shell and an inner chamber member within the shell. The shell and chamber member are mounted to rotate relative to each other to align openings therein when in the open position and through which the material exits the chamber member. The material is loaded into the chamber member, and subsequently the dispenser is sealed with a seal that is connected to both the shell and the chamber member to prevent relative rotation of the shell and chamber member and dispensing of the material. The dispenser is inserted into the open mouth, unsealing the seal, and rotating the shell and chamber member relative to each other to open the dispenser and allow the material to flow into the container and mix with the liquid therein.

RELATED APPLICATION AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

This application claims the benefit under 35 USC 119(e) of U. S.Provisional Patent Application No. 61/119,897, entitled “ DISPENSER ANDMETHOD,” filed Dec. 4, 2008. This related application is incorporatedherein by reference and made a part of this application. If any conflictarises between the disclosure of the invention in this utilityapplication and that in the related provisional application, thedisclosure in this utility application shall govern. Moreover, any andall U. S. patents, U. S. patent applications, and other documents, hardcopy or electronic, cited or referred to in this application areincorporated herein by reference and made a part of this application.

DEFINITIONS

The words “comprising,” “having,” “containing,” and “including,” andother forms thereof, are intended to be equivalent in meaning and beopen ended in that an item or items following any one of these words isnot meant to be an exhaustive listing of such item or items, or meant tobe limited to only the listed item or items.

The words “substantially” and “essentially” have equivalent meanings

BACKGROUND

There a many types of dispensing devices and it would be desirable tohave a dispenser that can be detachably connected to a container with athreaded open mouth. For example, a bottle of water comprises an openmouth at a terminal end of a neck of the bottle that is surrounded by amale thread. A bottle cap with an internal female thread is screwed ontothe open mouth to close the mouth. After removal of the cap, flavor orother ingredients may be added to the water within the bottle throughthe now open mouth. A dispenser that (a) is easy to attach to the openmouth of the container and that (b) holds flavor ingredients, or othermaterial to be added to the contents of the container, would be a highlydesirable product.

SUMMARY

Our dispenser and method may be used to dispense essentially any fluidmaterial such as, for example, liquids, powders, solid or hollow beads,and they may be, for example, flavor ingredients, pharmaceuticals,minerals, vitamins, or any other material to be added to the contents ofthe container to which the dispenser is adapted to be connected. Ourdispenser and method has one or more of the features depicted in theembodiments discussed in the section entitled “DETAILED DESCRIPTION OFSOME ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS.” The claims that follow define ourdispenser and method of dispensing, distinguishing them from the priorart; however, without limiting the scope of our dispenser and method ofdispensing as expressed by these claims, in general terms, some, but notnecessarily all, of their features are:

One, our dispenser includes an assembly of a shell and a chamber memberadapted to hold material to be dispensed. The chamber member has an opentop and a lower section with an opening therein. The material beingdispensed may be introduced into the hollow chamber member through theopen top. The shell has an open top that receives the chamber member, alower section with an opening therein, and an upper section. The uppersection is adapted to be detachably connected to an open mouth of acontainer so that at least a portion of the assembly extends into theopen mouth and a portion of the assembly projects outward from the openmouth.

Two, the shell and chamber member are configured and mounted to enablerelative rotational movement between the shell and chamber member and toprevent relative axial movement between the shell and chamber member.Rotation in one direction aligns the openings to open the dispenser somaterial in the chamber flows into the container and rotation in theopposite direction closes the dispenser. In one embodiment, the shelland chamber member are nested together and concentrically mounted toenable relative rotational movement in both clockwise andcounter-clockwise directions.

Three, the openings in the shell and chamber member are at leastpartially aligned in the open position so material in the chamber memberexits the dispenser through the openings and are misaligned when in theclosed position. In the closed position, a wall portion of the shellcovers the opening in the chamber member and a wall portion of thechamber member covers the opening in the shell.

Four, a seal member prevents the relative rotational movement until sealmember is detached or broken. In one embodiment the seal member coversthe open top of the chamber member to close this top to retain thematerial within the chamber member. The seal member includes a tabelement connected to an outer surface of the shell's upper section toprevent relative rotational movement until the tab element is detachedor broken. In another embodiment a cap member with the seal fits overthe portion of the assembly of the shell and chamber member thatprojects outward from the open mouth the container. The seal is brokenwhen the cap member is detached.

Five, a substantial portion of the inner chamber member may projectoutward from the open mouth of a container to which the dispenser isattached and interacts with the cap member. Detaching the cap memberfrom the inner chamber member breaks the seal. The cap member mayinclude a living hinge attaching the cap member and the chamber member.

Six, the chamber member may have a rim section that is positioned nextto the open top of the shell upon assembly of the shell and chambermember. The rim section may be at the open top of the chamber member orat an intermediate location disposed between the open top of the chambermember and the lower section of the chamber member.

Seven, the rim section and the open top of the shell may havecomplementary connecting components that engage as the shell and chambermember rotate between open and closed positions. The connectingcomponents are pressed tightly against each other in the closed positionto provide a liquid tight seal. The connecting components may comprise acurved internal edge in the rim section and a curved elevated lip in theopen top of the shell. The edge and lip engage as the shell and chambermember rotate between open and closed positions, with the edge and lippressed tightly against each other in the closed position to provide theliquid tight seal.

Eight, to prevent relative axial movement between the shell and chambermember the chamber member may have a terminal end with an axleprojecting therefrom. The axle extends through a guide element in theshell at the lower section. The guide element has a predetermineddiameter and the axle includes an enlarged, tapered head which at oneend has a diameter greater than the predetermined diameter of the guideelement and at an opposed end a reduced diameter that is less than thepredetermined diameter of the guide element. Consequently, upon passingthrough the guide element, the axle is held in position so that there isessentially no axle movement between the shell and the chamber member.

Our method of adding a material to a container of liquid having an openmouth comprises the steps of

(a) loading the material into a dispenser that fits within the openmouth, said dispenser having an open position and a closed position, andincluding an outer shell and an inner chamber member within the shelland mounted to rotate relative to each other, said shell and chambermember having aligned openings therein when in the open position throughwhich the material exits the chamber member,

(b) subsequent to loading of the material, sealing said dispenser with aseal that is connected to both the shell and the chamber member toprevent relative rotation of the shell and chamber member and dispensingof the flavor ingredient,

(c) inserting the dispenser into the open mouth, unsealing said seal,and rotating the shell and chamber member relative to each other to openthe dispenser and allow the material to flow into the container and mixwith the liquid therein.

These features are not listed in any rank order nor is this listintended to be exhaustive.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Some embodiments of our dispenser and method are discussed in detail inconnection with the accompanying drawing, which is for illustrativepurposes only. This drawing includes the following figures (Figs.), withlike numerals indicating like parts:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of our dispenser holdinga material and with its seal in place and the dispenser closed,preventing any material within the dispenser from escaping.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment of ourdispenser shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the outer shell of the one embodiment ofour dispenser shown in FIG. 1 with the seal completely removed.

FIG. 3A is a plan view taken along line 3A-3A of FIG. 3.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the inner chamber member of the oneembodiment of our dispenser shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 1 and withthe dispenser attached to an open mouth of a container.

FIG. 6A is a perspective view of the embodiment of our dispenser shownin FIG. 1 with the seal removed and the dispenser in the closedposition.

FIG. 6B is a perspective view of the embodiment of our dispenser shownin FIG. 1 with the seal removed and the dispenser in the open position.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another embodiment of our dispenserholding a material and with its seal in place and the dispenser closed,preventing any material within the dispenser from escaping.

FIG. 8 is a plan view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a partial exploded perspective view of the embodiment of ourdispenser shown in FIG. 7, illustrating the cap removed.

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment of ourdispenser shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the dispenser shown in FIG. 7attached to an open mouth of a container.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of still another embodiment of ourdispenser holding a material within the dispenser from escaping untilits cap is removed and its seal broken.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the embodiment showing its cap isremoved but remaining attached to the body of the dispenser.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

There are three embodiments of our dispenser illustrated: one embodimentgenerally indicated by the numeral 10 and depicted in FIGS. 1 through6B, another embodiment generally indicated by the numeral 100 anddepicted in FIGS. 7 through 11, and a third embodiment generallyindicated by the numeral 100 a and depicted in FIGS. 12 through 13. Themain difference between our dispenser 10 and the dispensers 100 and 100a is that the and the dispensers 100 and 100 a have a far greaterportion of their individual bodies projecting out from the container towhich an individual dispenser 100 a or 100 b is attached than ourdispenser 10. This makes our dispensers 100 and 100 a easier for a userto open and close.

In addition to the embodiment depicted, ornamental features may beincluded in our dispenser. For example, the portions of our dispensermay be in the form of the heads or bodies of cartoon characters such asthe Disney's Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.

FIGS. 1 Through 6B

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, one embodiment of our dispenser isgenerally indicated by the numeral 10. This dispenser 10 includes a seal12, a hollow outer shell 14, and a hollow inner chamber member 16holding a material to be dispensed, for example, a material that flowsunder the influence of gravity such as a liquid or powder. The shell 14and chamber member 16 are molded from plastic using conventionalinjection molding techniques, and may be made of plastics havingdifferent physical properties. For example, the shell 14 may be made ofa resilient or elastic material and the chamber member 16 may be made ofa more rigid material, so that better sealing is achieved. The shell 14and chamber member 16 are assembled together and concentrically mountedalong a centerline CL of the dispenser 10, with the shell 14 and chambermember 16 tightly nested together. The material to be dispensed is firstloaded into the chamber member 16 and then the seal 12 is applied to theassembled shell 14 and loaded chamber member 16 to prevent relativerotation. At least partial detachment of the seal 12 enables a user torotate the shell 14 and chamber member 16 relative to each other in aclockwise or counter-clockwise direction to move between a closedposition as shown in FIG. 6A and an open position as shown in FIG. 6B.

As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the outer shell 14 has a substantiallycylindrical inner sidewall SW1, an open top section 14 a that receivesthe chamber member 16, and a domed bottom wall 14 b with a pair ofpie-shaped opening 18 therein. The pie-shaped openings 18 areessentially identical in shape and are opposed mirror images of eachother, each being offset to one side of the centerline CL. The open topsection 14 a has a top ledge TL and an outer cylindrical sidewall SW2spaced from the inner cylindrical sidewall SW1. The top ledge TL hastherein a circular opening 20 and is substantially at a right angle tothe centerline CL, which intersects the center C of the circular opening20. The top ledge TL connects the outer sidewall SW2 and inner sidewallSW2, which are concentric about the centerline CL. This forms within thetop section 14 a between these sidewalls SW1 and SW2 an annular recessAR (FIG. 5) that is sized and configured so that an open mouth portionof a container, for example, a bottle full of water, may be insertedtherein upon connecting the dispenser 10 to the container (shown inphantom lines). A female thread FT (FIG. 5) on an internal surface SF1of the outer sidewall SW2 enables the dispenser 10 to be screwed ontothe container's open mouth portion that has thereon a male thread thatengages the female thread.

The upper end E1 of the cylindrical sidewall SW1 and the inner end E2 ofthe top ledge TL merge into the circular opening 20, which has adiameter d1 essentially equal to the outside diameter d2 of the innercylindrical chamber member 16. The diameter d1 is also essentially equalto the inside diameter of the sidewall SW1, so the diameters d1 and d2are essentially equal. A curved elevated lip 22 positioned between thecircular opening 20 and an edge ED1 of the outer cylindrical wall SW2partially surrounds the circular opening. As best shown in FIGS. 3 and3A, the lip 22 terminates at one end E3 adjacent an indentation 24 inthe exterior of the outer sidewall SW2 and nearby this end E3 has moldedtherein indicia indicating a “close” position. About midway between thisone end E3 and the lip's other end E4, the lip 22 has molded thereinindicia indicating an “open” position. As discussed subsequently ingreater detail, depending on the relative positions of the shell 14 andchamber member 16, a user will be able to observe the indicia thatdesignates whether the dispenser 10 is opened or closed. The curvatureof the lip 22 is essentially that of a segment of a circle and itscenter is along the centerline CL.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the inner chamber member 16 has asubstantially cylindrical sidewall SW3 terminating at its top end E5 ina circular entryway 26. The bottom end E6 of the chamber member 16terminates in a domed bottom wall 16 b having with a pair of pie-shapedopenings 18 a therein that are essentially identical in size and shapeto the openings 18 in the shell 14. These openings 18 a are mirrorimages of each other and opposed to each other, each offset to one sideof the centerline CL. The chamber member 16 has a circular rim section16 a surrounding the entryway 26. An underside US (FIG. 5) of the rimsection 16 a bears against the top edge ED2 of the lip 22 upon assemblyof the shell 14 and chamber member 16 and an outer edge ED3 of the rimsection 16 a has serrations 28 therein. As shown in Fig, 1, theseserrations 28 may be aligned with serrations 28 a on an exterior of theouter sidewall SW2 when the dispenser 10 is in the closed or openpositions. The rim section 16 a surrounds the entryway 26 and its outeredge ED3 may be circular with a gap G therein. The edge ED3 overlaps thelip 22 and is offset slightly from the surface of the top ledge TL ofthe shell 14. The internal surface of the rim's underside US pressesfirmly against the edge ED2 of the elevated lip 22 upon assembly of theshell 14 and chamber member 16. The rim's underside US and the lip'sedge ED2 bear tightly against each other in the closed position toprovide a liquid tight seal 12, with these contacting portions slidingpast each other as the shell 14 and chamber member 16 rotate betweenopen and closed positions after removal of the seal 12. Portions of theinside surface of the rim's edge ED3 and the outside surface of the lip22 also contact and slide past each other as the shell 14 and chambermember 16 rotate between open and closed positions after removal of theseal 12.

An axle A projects lengthwise along the centerline CL outward from acenter of the domed wall 16 a of the chamber member 16. A shaft 30 ofthe axle A extends through a tubular guide element 14 c in the shell 14at the apex of the domed wall 16 b along the centerline CL of thedispenser 10. A tubular passageway P (FIG. 5) of the guide element 14 chas a predetermined diameter and the axle A includes an enlarged,tapered head 30 a that at one end E7 has a diameter greater than thepredetermined diameter of the guide element's passageway P. At anopposed end E8 the head 30 a has a reduced diameter that is less thanthe predetermined diameter of the guide element 14 c. Consequently, uponassembly of the shell 14 and chamber member 16, the axle A is pressfitted through the guide element 14 c with the reduced diameter end E8first advancing through the guide element 14 c and the enlarged end E7next advancing through the guide element 14 c to lock the axle inposition as shown in FIG. 5. The enlarged head 30 a may have a conicalconfiguration and its shaft 30 is cylindrical to allow the axle A torotate within the cylindrical tubular passageway P of the guide element14 c. The shaft length and the length of the guide element's tubularpassageway P are essentially equal, and the diameter of the shaft 30 andthe tubular passageway P are essentially equal. This arrangementprevents substantially any axial movement along the centerline CLbetween the assembled shell 14 and chamber member 16.

The inside diameter d1 the cylindrical sidewall SW1 of the shell 14 andthe outside diameter d2 of the cylindrical sidewall SW3 of the chambermember 16 are essentially of the same dimensions, which aresubstantially from ⅜ to 3 inches. The domed bottom walls 14 b and 16 bare essentially of the same configuration and dimensions so that thesidewalls SW1 and SW3 and domed bottom walls bear against each other andprovide a liquid tight seal. When the dispenser 10 is in the closedposition, the openings 18 and 18 a are misaligned and solid wallportions of the domed bottom walls 14 b and 16 b are repositionedrelative to each other so the openings 18 and 18 a are completelymisaligned and the solid wall portions block these openings 18 and 18 a.The dispenser's bottom is thus closed to prevent escape from theinterior of the chamber member 16 any material through the misalignedopenings 18 and 18 a.

After assembly of the shell 14 and chamber member 16 with the bottom ofthe dispenser closed, the material is loaded into the interior of thechamber member 16 through the open entryway 26 and then the seal 12 isput into position. Initially upon assembly of the shell 14 and chambermember 16, the gap G in the shell's rim section 16 a is aligned with theindicia on the lip 22 corresponding to the “close” position. And in thisaligned orientation, the material is loaded and the seal 12 is appliedas shown in FIG. 1.

A circular body section 12 a of the seal 12 covers the open top of thechamber member 16 to close the entryway 26 and retain the previouslyloaded material within the hollow interior of the chamber member 16. Theseal's circular body section 12 a has a diameter essentially equal tothe diameter d3 of the circular rim section 16 a and a tab element 12 bthat projects outward from the perimeter of the seal's circular bodysection 12 a. The underside of the seal 12 has an adhesive thereon so,when the seal 12 is applied to the rim section 16 a subsequent toloading the material and prior to dispensing the material, it adheres tothe rim section 16 a. As depicted in FIG. 1, with the seal 12 coveringthe open top of the chamber member 16, the tab element 12 b is foldeddownward into the indentation 24, adhesively bonding to an exterior ofthe sidewall SW2. The configuration and dimensions of the tab element 12b correspond to the configuration and dimensions of the indentation 24,so the tab element 12 b is received within the indentation and thecircular body section 12 a covers the entryway 26. This preventsrelative rotational movement between the shell 14 and chamber member 16until the tab element 12 b is detached or broken to separate it fromseal's circular body section 12 a.

When the tab element 12 b is detached or broken, the user can rotate theshell 14 and chamber member 16 relative to each other. Upon rotating thechamber member 16 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 1, movingfrom a closed position to an open position, the openings 18 and 18 a areat least in partial alignment to allow material loaded in the hollowinterior to exit the chamber member 16 through these aligned openings 18and 18 a. Also, the shell 14 and chamber member 16 are repositioned sothe indicia indicating an “open” position on the lip 22 is next to thegap G. This tells the user that the material has been dispensed. Theseal 12 may be removed entirely after the material within the chambermember 16 has been dispensed into a container attached to the dispenser10. Thereafter, a user may pour the contents of the container attachedto the dispenser 10 directly from the entryway 26 after opening thedispenser. Upon rotating the chamber member 16 in a counter-clockwisedirection as viewed in FIG. 1, moving from the open position to theclosed position, the solid wall portions of the domed bottom walls 14 band 16 b are repositioned relative to each other to close the bottom ofthe dispenser to prevent the contents of the container from flowingthrough the dispenser and escaping through the now unsealed entryway 26.Consequently, the user may use the dispenser 10 as an access device forthe container. Normally, the unsealed dispenser 10 is closed so thecontents of the container cannot escape either through the openings 18and 18 a or through the entryway 26. When so desired, the user opens thedispenser 10 by relative rotation of the shell 14 and chamber member 16to access the contents of the container via the dispenser through itsnow aligned opening 18 and 18 a and the open, unsealed entryway 26.

FIGS. 7 Through 11

As best illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 11, our dispenser 100 includes ahollow outer shell 114, a hollow inner chamber member 116 holding amaterial to be dispensed, and a cap 111 having a closed top end 111 aincluding a depression 112 that functions as seal. The outer shell 114is essentially the same as the outer shell 14 of our dispenser 10,except it is shorter and does not extend very deeply into the open mouthM of a container (FIG. 11) into which it is inserted. The inner chambermember 116 is similar in some aspects to the chamber member 16 of ourdispenser 10 and also includes the cylindrical sidewall SW3 with an opentop including the entryway 26. In our dispenser 100, however, a circularrim section 116 a is along the sidewall SW3 at an intermediate locationto divide the chamber member 116 into an upper section US and a lowersection LS. As shown in FIG. 9, the chamber member 116 thus has asubstantial portion projecting from the shell 114 upon assembly of theshell and chamber member, and the cap 111 fits snug over this portion asshown in FIG. 7. In the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 7 through 11approximately more than half of the chamber member's body projects fromthe shell 114. The cap 111 fits snug on the chamber member 116, sealingit. Removal of the cap 111 unseals our dispenser 100, as discussedsubsequently in greater detail.

The cap 111 and the upper section US have conforming configurations. Inother words they look substantially alike with the cap 111 having anexterior surface of essentially the same over all shape but slightlygreater dimensions. The cap 111 has a hollow interior with an internalsidewall (not shown) that conforms in shape to the exterior of the uppersection US. The cap 111 fits over the upper section US and its loweropen end 111 b abuts one side of the rim section 116 a. The uppersection US terminates at an open outer end E9 forming the entryway 26into the chamber member 116. Material to be dispensed is introduced intothis open entryway 126 and then sealed when the cap 111 is put in place.The depression 112 in the end 111 a of the cap 111 is shaped to fit snugwithin this entryway 26 to close and seal our dispenser 100 afterfilling the chamber member 116 with the material to be dispensed. A pairof striated wing members WM facilitates rotating the shell 114 withrespect to the chamber member 116, and the exterior of the cap 111 hascorresponding wing members WM′. The wing members WM extend upward fromone side of the rim section 116 a and run along and are integral withthe outer surface of the sidewall SW3. The wing members WM are opposedto each other on opposite sides of the sidewall SW3 and each terminatebelow the entryway 26 and do not interfere with placing the cap 111 onthe assembled shell 114 and chamber member 116.

The bottom end E10 of the chamber member 116 and the bottom end E11 ofthe shell 114 are essentially the same as in our dispenser 10, andchamber member 116 and the shell 114 interact in essentially the samefashion as the chamber member 16 and shell 14 of our dispenser 10. Inother words the domed bottom walls of the ends E10 and E11 that arenested together, and each domed bottom wall includes a pair ofpie-shaped openings 18 and 18 a that are essentially identical in sizeand shape. The outer shell 114 includes an edge ED3′ that overlaps a lip22′ of the inner chamber member 116. When our dispenser 100 is openedand closed after unsealing to dispense material held within the chambermember 116 from the entryway 26, the edge ED3′ and lip 22′ interact inessentially the same fashion as similar elements in our dispenser 10.

As shown in FIG. 8, rotation of the cap 111 in the counterclockwisedirection breaks the seal on the dispenser 100. The seal in addition thedepression 112 may comprise a breakaway lower circular element 125 ofthe cap 111 that fits tightly over the assembled shell 114 and containermember 116 so that they cannot normally rotated relative to each otherunless the cap is forcibly turned to break the seal. The cap 111 mayalso be covered with a shrink wrap that is removed when the user desiresto open the dispenser 100 after first attaching it to a container asdepicted in FIG. 11. Rotation in the counterclockwise direction causesthe pie-shaped openings 18 and 18 a to become aligned so that thematerial in the chamber member flows into the container. Rotation in theclockwise direction closes the openings 18 ad 18 a as discussed above.The cap 111 may be replaced or discarded.

FIGS. 12 and 13

As best illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13, our dispenser 100 a is similarto our dispenser 100 and includes the hollow outer shell 114 and thehollow inner chamber member 116 holding a material to be dispensed. Ituses a different type of cap 200, however. In this embodiment the cap200 is attached by a lanyard 202 to the circular rim section 116 a sothat it remains connected to the dispenser after removal.

SCOPE OF THE INVENTION

The above presents a description of the best mode I contemplate ofcarrying out our dispenser and method and of the manner and process ofmaking and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as toenable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains to make anduse our dispenser and method. Our dispenser and method are, however,susceptible to modifications and alternate constructions from theillustrative embodiment discussed above which are fully equivalent.Consequently, it is not the intention to limit our dispenser and methodto the particular embodiment disclosed. On the contrary, our intentionis to cover all modifications and alternate constructions coming withinthe spirit and scope of our dispenser and method as generally expressedby the following claims, which particularly point out and distinctlyclaim the subject matter of our invention:

1. A dispenser including an assembly of a shell and a chamber member,said chamber member adapted to hold material to be dispensed and havingan open top and a lower section with an opening therein, said shellhaving an open top which receives the chamber member, a lower sectionwith an opening therein, and an upper section adapted to be detachablyconnected to an open mouth of a container so that at least a portion ofthe assembly extends into the open mouth and a portion of the assemblyprojects outward from the open mouth, said shell and chamber memberconfigured and mounted to enable relative rotational movement betweenthe shell and chamber member and to prevent relative axial movementbetween the shell and chamber member so that rotation in one directionaligns the openings to open the dispenser so material in the chamberflows into the container and rotation in the opposite direction closesthe dispenser, and a seal member that prevents said relative rotationalmovement until seal member is detached or broken.
 2. A dispenserincluding a hollow outer shell and a hollow inner chamber member atleast partially extending into said shell, said outer shell having anopen top which receives the chamber member, a lower section with anopening therein, and an upper section with an internal female thread toenable the dispenser to be screwed onto an open mouth of a containerhaving thereat a male thread that engages the internal female thread,said chamber member holding material to be dispensed and having an opentop through which the material being dispensed is introduced into thehollow chamber member and an opening therein in a lower section, saidshell and chamber member being nested together and concentricallymounted to enable relative rotational movement in both clockwise andcounter-clockwise directions and to prevent relative axial movementbetween the shell and chamber member, upon rotating in one directionmoving from a closed position to an open position and upon rotating inthe other direction moving from the open position to the closedposition, said openings in the shell and chamber member being at leastpartially aligned in the open position so material in the chamber memberexits the dispenser through the openings and being misaligned when inthe closed position so a wall portion of the shell covers the opening inthe chamber member and a wall portion of the chamber member covers theopening in the shell, and a seal member that prevents said relativerotational movement until seal member is detached or broken.
 3. Thedispenser of claim 2 where the seal member covers the open top of thechamber member to close said top to retain the material within thechamber member, said seal member including a tab element connected to anouter surface of the shell's upper section to prevent relativerotational movement until the tab element is detached or broken.
 4. Thedispenser of claim 2 where a substantial portion of the inner chambermember projects outward from the open mouth of a container to which thedispenser is attached.
 5. The dispenser of claim 4 where the seal memberis a component of a cap member that covers the portion of the chambermember projecting outward from the open mouth of the container.
 6. Thedispenser of claim 5 where the seal member connects the cap member tothe outer shell in a manner that prevents the cap member from movingrelative to the outer shell and inner chamber member until the sealmember is detached or broken.
 7. The dispenser of claim 5 where the capmember includes a living hinge attaching the cap member and the chambermember.
 8. The dispenser of claim 2 where the chamber member has a rimsection next to the open top of the shell, said rim section and saidopen top of the shell having complementary connecting components thatengage as the shell and chamber member rotate between open and closedpositions, said connecting components being pressed tightly against eachother in the closed position to provide a liquid tight seal.
 9. Thedispenser of claim 8 where the connecting components comprise a curvedinternal edge in the rim section and a curved elevated lip in the opentop of the shell, said edge and lip engaging as the shell and chambermember rotate between open and closed positions, with the edge and lippressed tightly against each other in the closed position to provide aliquid tight seal.
 10. The dispenser of claim 8 where the rim section isat the open top of the chamber member.
 11. The dispenser of claim 8where the rim section is at an intermediate location disposed betweenthe open top of the inner chamber member and the lower section of theinner chamber member.
 12. The dispenser of claim 4 including a pair ofwing members attached to an outer sidewall of the chamber, said wingmembers opposed to each other on opposite sides of said outer sidewall.13. The dispenser of claim 2 where the shell and chamber member eachhave a cylindrical sidewall with the shell having an inside diameter andthe chamber member having an outside diameter, said diameters beingessentially the same so the shell and chamber member fit snug with eachother when nested together yet are able to rotate relative to eachother.
 14. The dispenser of claim 2 where the chamber member has aterminal end with an axle projecting therefrom along a centerline of thedispenser.
 15. The dispenser of claim 14 where the axle extends througha guide element in the shell at the lower section, said guide elementbeing along the centerline of the dispenser.
 16. The dispenser of claim15 where the guide element has a predetermined diameter and the axleincludes an enlarged, tapered head which at one end has a diametergreater than the predetermined diameter of the guide element and at anopposed end a reduced diameter that is less than the predetermineddiameter of the guide element so that, upon passing through the guideelement, the axle is held in position so that there is essentially noaxle movement between the shell and the chamber member.
 17. Thedispenser of claim 1 where the openings in the shell and chamber memberare offset to one side of a centerline of the dispenser.
 18. A dispenserincluding a hollow outer shell and a hollow inner chamber within saidshell, said outer shell having an open top which receives the chambermember, a lower section with an opening therein, and an upper sectionwith an internal female thread to enable the dispenser to be screwedonto an open mouth of a bottle having thereat a male thread that engagesthe internal female thread. said chamber member holding material to bedispensed and having an open top through which the material beingdispensed is introduced into the hollow chamber member and an openingtherein in a lower section, said shell and chamber member being nestedtogether and concentrically mounted to enable relative rotationalmovement in both clockwise and counter-clockwise directions and toprevent relative axial movement between the shell and chamber member,upon rotating in one direction moving from a closed position to an openposition and upon rotating in the other direction moving from the openposition to the closed position, said openings in the shell and chambermember being at least partially aligned in the open position so materialin the chamber member exits the dispenser through the opening and beingmisaligned when in the closed position so a wall portion of the shellcovers the opening in the chamber member and a wall portion of thechamber member covers the opening in the shell, and a seal membercovering the open top of the chamber member to close said top and retainthe material within the chamber member, said seal member including a tabelement connected to an outer surface of the shell's upper section toprevent relative rotational movement until the tab element is detachedor broken.
 19. A dispenser including a hollow outer shell having asubstantially cylindrical sidewall and a hollow inner chamber memberhaving a substantially cylindrical sidewall, said shell and chambermember being assembled together and concentrically mounted along acenterline of the dispenser to enable relative rotational movement inboth clockwise and counter-clockwise directions to move between an openposition and a closed position, said outer shell having an open topsection which receives the chamber member, a domed bottom section withan opening therein offset to one side of the centerline, said open topsection having a cylindrical outer wall spaced from the cylindricalsidewall of the shell, said outer wall and cylindrical sidewall beingconcentric with the centerline, a female thread on an internal surfaceof the cylindrical outer wall to enable the dispenser to be screwed ontoan open mouth of a container having at the container's open mouth a malethread that engages the internal female thread, said top sectionincluding a ledge connecting said cylindrical outer wall and cylindricalsidewall of the shell, said assembled shell and chamber member beingtightly nested together with said cylindrical sidewall of the shellhaving a predetermined inside diameter and the cylindrical sidewall ofthe chamber member having a predetermined outside diameter, saidpredetermined diameters being essentially of the same dimensions, andsaid domed bottoms being essentially of the same configuration andhaving predetermined dimensions so that the sidewalls and domed bottomsbear against each other and provide a liquid tight seal, said chambermember adapted to hold a material to be dispensed and having a top withan entryway through which said material being dispensed is loaded intothe hollow chamber member prior to being dispensed and said domed bottomsection having an opening therein that is offset to one side of thecenterline, said chamber member having a rim section surrounding theentryway, said rim section having an underside that bears against theledge and an axle projecting from a center of the domed bottom sectionof the chamber member along the centerline of the dispenser through thecenter of the domed bottom section of the shell, upon rotating in onedirection moving from a closed position to an open position and uponrotating in the other direction moving from the open position to theclosed position, said openings in the open position being at least inpartial alignment and registration to allow material loaded in thechamber member to exit the dispenser through said aligned openings andin the closed position the sidewall of the shell and sidewall of thechamber member overlapping to prevent the escape of material from thedispenser through the openings, and a seal member applied to the rimsection subsequent to loading the material and prior to dispensing thematerial and having a body element covering the entryway after loadingthe chamber member, said seal member preventing relative rotationalmovement until the seal member is detached or broken.
 20. A method ofadding a material to a container of liquid having an open mouth, saidmethod comprising the steps of (a) loading the material into a dispenserthat fits within the open mouth, said dispenser having an open positionand a closed position, and including an outer shell and an inner chambermember within the shell and mounted to rotate relative to each other,said shell and chamber member having aligned openings therein when inthe open position through which the material exits the chamber member,(b) subsequent to loading of the material, sealing said dispenser with aseal that is connected to both the shell and the chamber member toprevent relative rotation of the shell and chamber member and dispensingof the flavor ingredient, (c) inserting the dispenser into the openmouth, unsealing said seal, and rotating the shell and chamber memberrelative to each other to open the dispenser and allow the material toflow into the container and mix with the liquid therein.